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Admin
| | Posted on Monday, October 22, 2001 - 10:40 pm: |     |
Will you recuse yourself from any votes coming before the TC concerning the CCR?
Did you tell prominent Republicans here in town that Jim Treffinger was endorsing your campaign and what is your relationship with the New Independant Democratic Party led by Terry Lowe here in town? |
Fredprofeta
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2001 - 11:03 pm: | |
Dear Marie:
Here is my answer to your question no. 1:
If elected, I do not feel it would be appropriate to recuse myself from any votes coming before the Township Committee regarding the Community Coalition. If I were to recuse myself, I would be placing myself in a diminished role vis-a-vis other members of the TC. As you know, the CCR has always had two TC liaisons to the CCR board, and they have not recused themselves from TC votes regarding CCR matters. Nor should they.
Vic DeLuca does not recuse himself from voting on matters involving the Hilton neighborhood, even though he was one of the founders and leaders of the Hilton Neighborhood Association. Burt Liebman does not recuse himself from Maplewood
Village Alliance matters, even though he has been on the Alliance Board since the beginning, and has labored diligently and well for Alliance causes.
I could provide other examples but I suggest that the point is clear - my devotion to issues
of racial integration and fairness should not disqualify me from acting upon those issues
if I were elected to the TC. In fact, my experience in these areas would indicate, I think,
that I would be particularly able to analyze and evaluate CCR matters while on the TC.
In way of analogy, legislators who sponsor bills in committees do not recuse themselves
when the bills reach the floor of the main body. Instead, they typically become advocates
before the larger group. Recusal is appropriate when a governmental official (or his relative or friend) has a personal financial interest in the outcome. It is not appropriate when those who vote on legislation or ordinances or resolutions are advocates for the issues in question. Often officials of this sort have been elected precisely because they are advocates for these causes. My only interest in CCR matters is to promote integration and fairness for all Maplewood citizens.
Fred |
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